The Stranger
by tenderflowers
Summary: The war has ended. Everything is quiet and peaceful. Everyone is happy. Except a man with a black and white face that suddenly appeared in a flash of blue light. Who is he, why is he here, and can he find his way home? Watchmen/Avatar crossover.
1. Conflict

A couple of things to be aware of. One, I'm basing the Watchmen stuff off of the comics, though I might take some things in the movie. Two, it's mostly Rorschach that'll be starring in here, and I don't care if you like him better actually dead or teleported to another universe. Three, I might be off on some details about the Avatar universe, so don't flame me for it but pointing them out would be nice. And four, I haven't written a fanfic in _years_ so things might be a little terrible until I pick things up again.

Disclaimer: I don't own any ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor Watchmen. They belong to their respective creators.

---

He had always wondered what death would feel like. Because he was always the one dealing it. Never receiving it. And he couldn't get much from his victims, who were screaming in terror before sinking into a blank expression.

Especially by his hands. Jon Osterman. Dr. Manhattan. The almost god-like figure had killed countless before, during the Vietnam war. But he never was faced with a dilemma. He never had to kill his friend.

"Do it!" He had shouted before feeling what he assumed was death. No. That was wrong. He couldn't feel anything. Everything went black, every part of him was numb. If he was a religious person, he would say that his soul managed to escape the vaporization and started to drift towards the afterlife.

But the sensation lasted only for a moment. He could see the flash of blue light that should have killed him. Should have erased the masked vigilante, Rorschach, from the face of the earth.

Was it worse that Jon teleported him here, wherever here was? He knew that he will find his way back, and tell the truth about what happened in Antarctica. For someone claiming to be detaching from humanity, he had a funny habit of sparing the life of his friend, someone who was very much so a human.

He couldn't even see where he ended up. Tears were clouding his vision. He had never cried before, so he was a bit shocked to feel them running down his cheek. Using a free hand to wipe them away, he realized that he was holding his mask and quickly put it back on without a second thought.

What the hell did Jon do? Did he teleport him to freaking China?! He stepped back in surprise and his foot bumped into a duck-chicken thing. It squawked and flailed its wings at the stranger before it was scooped up by its owner. A middle aged Asian women that stared at him with wide eyes.

Everyone was gawking at him. Let them gawk. He didn't care about their impression of him at all. He'll be out of here as quickly as he came, or as soon as he found the nearest airport.

Everything about this place was off though. The air was clean, like it hadn't been exposed to cars or factories. The people around him, when they weren't staring, always had a smile on their face. Much unlike the residents of New York City, who were often looked down at the ground as they hustled by. It could be paradise by his standards, if he hadn't already told himself that there was no such thing as paradise.

One thing was clear. It wasn't likely that he'd find an airport here, or even anything more advanced than a typewriter. There has to be some way home. Some way to travel back so he can reveal what Veidt had done. There _has_ to be...

"Excuse me mister?"

A high pitched voice made him whirl around, ready for a fight. No one approached him for any reason other than that.

Then his second thought was that the woman behind him spoke English. When she was obviously Chinese, or Japanese, or belong to one of those other Asian countries. That's strange.

"I think you dropped this..." She held out a pen to him.

Oh. That pen. He used it to write in his journal. Which, it suddenly occurred to him, should have been reviewed by now by the newspaper company he had dropped it off in. A small glimmer of hope was sparked. The truth could be told, even without him even being there. But he still prefer to be home and not stuck in the middle of a foreign country.

He took it back without saying a word and turned to leave. But the woman followed after him, not getting the hint that he wanted to be along.

"It looks like you're not from around here, mister." She said, panting lightly because he had quickened his pace. "It might do you some good to get a guide. Ba Sing Se is a huge city, and you can get easily lost in it."

"I don't need one."

"Are you sure? I can help, maybe." She didn't seem fazed by the stranger's reluctance for help. "It's rare nowadays to find anyone that isn't familiar with the city. Rarer anyway. Now that the war's over, there's no more refugees coming here, and all the ones that used to live here returned home."

He stopped walking. Only long enough to say, "What war?"

"You don't know?" The woman let out an audible gasp. "Wow, you must have been _really_ sheltered, or _really_ not from around here. Basically, the Fire Nation tried to conquer the world for the past 100 years and was only recently defeated a couple months ago by Avatar Aang. What nation are you from, if you haven't heard of it?"

He didn't answer. There was a brief moment of welcome silence before the person piped up again.

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me. You're the newcomer here, so you should be the one asking questions, not I. It's just..."

When she trailed off, he thought that she was going to leave him alone now. But she didn't.

"I used to be a Joo Dee. They were tour guides here, but not very good ones. Many women, including I, were brainwashed by the Dai Li to make us the perfect guides. They're disbanded now, and I'm trying to be normal again. But it's hard. Sometimes I slip into being a Joo Dee, and do more harm than good."

This place was more interesting than he originally thought. If he was stuck here, it might be worth it to investigate the recent history further. For now, he kept walking and looked at everything but the former Joo Dee.

"It's alright to ask questions. Honestly. I want to help you as much as I can."

"Go away then. You're too chatty."

That shut her up for a bit, much to his satisfaction. He frowned under his mask when the light footsteps of the woman resumed again.

"Are you sure? It's also dangerous here, in the Lower Ring. If the Dai Li did anything right, it was that it kept the criminals in check. But now they run rampant, and the guards are such amateurs that they can't do much to control them."

"I can handle them. Go. Away."

That did it. The woman sighed, loud enough so he could hear, and turned away without another word.

Of course, the peace wasn't going to last long with his luck. He only took a couple steps forward when a scream rang out behind him.

She was right in that the criminals were out of control. They needed to be brought to justice, and if the policemen here couldn't do it, he'd have to clean things up himself. Even if he was a complete stranger in this city.

The scream had come from the woman that held the one-sided conversation with him. She would've been louder, but the muggers covered her mouth and held a knife up to her throat.

"This doesn't have to be any harder than it has to be. Just give me all that you have and you'll be safe."

Right after he said that, the woman was torn away from him and he was instead holding a strange man in a mask instead. He wasn't holding him for long either, as his arms were grabbed and twisted in a way to let him go. And to cause extreme pain.

"Aaagh! Let me go! I didn't do anything you psycho!"

He ignored his pleas. Flipping him around so that the mugger's back was facing towards him, he shoved his face into a brick wall. It became stained with blood gushing out of his broken nose. He was lifted from the hard surface only to be smashed into it again. And again. And again. The spot where the pounding and grinding was taken place was slowly becoming one color. Red.

"Please! That's enough! You're hurting him too much!"

The woman's cry distracted him enough for the mugger to regain a fraction of his strength. For the split second that he turned away, he pushed his assailant away from him and aimed a feeble punch at his face.

It was easily grabbed by the masked man and he proceeded to break its bone by squeezing hard. He yowled in anguish and his eyes became watery, but he refused to let go.

"Aaaaaaaaargh! What did I ever do to you?! Please!"

He was still able to talk rationally. That surprised him a bit, since he'd think that his teeth had shattered and pierced his tongue by now.

This was getting tiring anyway. He had made his point. The mugger was flipped over again, this time slamming into the ground with a sickening thud.

The woman was gone. Not surprising. This might have been the first act of real violence in this almost paradise. And it was needed, to keep thugs like these guys in line.

"There he is! He's a madman! Arrest him, kick him out, just don't get him near me!"

She came back? Glancing up towards her, he wasn't shocked to see the incompetent guards that she spoke of right behind her. Typical. Save a woman's life, and you only get betrayal in return. That's what happens in Manhattan, and even in this country, it's still expected.

These guys shouldn't be harder than the bloody body next to him though. All that made them different from him was the fancy uniform.

And he was very wrong. Only one step was taken before _rocks_ flew out of the ground and sped towards him at high speed. He was able to dodge quite a few of them but he was pelted by the rest. Several of them struck his head and he fell over, dazed but able to see what was going on.

Something was very off here. If flying rocks weren't enough to convince him, stone rose up from the ground and wrapped itself around his ankles, preventing him from getting up or running.

"It looks like you never seen Earthbending before. Of course, who can tell under that weird face of yours?" One of the guards laughed and approached him. To dissuade any further engagement, he made some pointy rocks float around him, eager to drive them into his body.

He didn't give up yet. They made the mistake of not binding his hands, and they were going to regret it. Because he grabbed the knife that the mugger had conveniently dropped and slipped his other hand into his pocket, discreetly enough so the guards won't notice what he just did.

"Now, what are we going to do with you..." The person that was talking before was apparently the leader, and didn't want to stop gloating.

"You were going to arrest him! Put him in jail! He killed a man for no reason!"

Actually, he didn't kill the mugger. He was still breathing, barely. If these idiots paid more attention and got him to a hospital faster, he might have lived. Now, the chances of that are very very slim.

"Riiight. I was going to do that." He sauntered over and bent down over the fallen man. "Now don't try anything funny, because one more and these rocks will give you some pretty nasty scars- AAARGH!"

Before the guard finished his sentence, he flung the knife past him, into one of the other mook's eyes, and pulled his pen out of his pocket and threw that into the leader's groin. Both of them keeled over in pain, and his shackles were loosened enough to jump up and deliver another blow to the person in front of him.

As expected, more rocks were flung at him, but he was able to dodge and deflect them with the round helmet of the unconscious guard. Their smallest break between barrage was his opening, and he threw his shield like a Frisbee and retrieved his knife and pen while he was at it.

The hat knocked out a bunch of the guards, and the remaining one were watching in fear where they stood. They were too amazed and afraid of the masked stranger to do anything more than throw rocks at him.

All of them were wiped out with little effort. They didn't deserve to be the policemen of the city. All they had that was a challenge was the 'Earthbending', as one of the guards called it. And that didn't pose much of a threat once they saw what he could do without it.

He heard ragged breathing behind him. Turning around, he saw that it was only the woman that started the whole mess. She should have paid like the rest of them. But before he could do anything, she opened her mouth and shouted.

"Don't you dare get near me! I'm not as helpless as you think I am! Nor am I scared."

She was lying. He could sense her fear in her voice. Gripping his pen tight, he was deciding on whether to chuck it at the center of her forehead, when-

WHUMPH.

A pillar of rock burst out of the earth and knocked him into the air. The force made him release his pen and knife and they clattered to the ground harmlessly.

He wasn't as lucky. He barreled through the sky for what seemed like a lifetime before he landed on a cart, filled with vegetables.

"Argh! My cabbages!"

That was the last thing he heard. Being thrown into a cart, stuck with splinters, beaten up by sharp stones earlier was damaging enough. But adding on the hurt he got from Veidt, it was enough to turn his vision black...

---

Some more notes, yeah, this is technically the same day as when he and everyone else confronted Ozymandias. And it's the first chapter, so the others probably won't be as long cause I don't have to explain as much stuff. Maybe.


	2. Prison

Glad some people liked it! I thought that the chapter was long cause I usually don't write that much but I don't think the story will end soon. So there'll be plenty of fun. Bwahaha.

Disclaimer: I don't own any ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor Watchmen. They belong to their respective creators. But any original characters and ideas belong to me.

---

"Who..."

"...Fought like a possessed man..."

"No one but..."

"... Face..."

"... Spots moving like ink..."

"Who..."

"... Need help..."

"... Avatar Aang..."

He woke up behind bars and with a throbbing head. The fall must have hurt more than he expected. And he was in prison. Again. He had been captured twice recently. Both times he was taken by surprise. He must be losing his touch, to his dismay.

Sitting up from the cot he was resting on, he noticed that they haven't taken off his mask, or changed his clothes. Some jail they were running. He was glad that they didn't touch his face though, unlike last time.

He could also see that there were guards outside his cell. They looked more competent than the ones he faced yesterday. Was it yesterday? He could've been knocked out for a long time...

"Don't move!" One of them cried out when he stepped onto the floor. As soon as his foot touched the stony surface, rocks leaped up and wrapped around it. He was somewhat suspecting that some sort of magic happen, and grabbed onto the railing of his bed so he wouldn't fall over.

"I heard what you did to Zing Jou, and that poor man on the streets. You're like some kind of... demon! Using strange weapons to kill everyone you see! And anything is a weapon in your hands!"

The other man pointed his spear threateningly at him. "We're not taking any chances though! There's nothing in your cell that you can use, and if you even try to get near us, we'll Earthbend the crap out of you!"

That didn't bother him. He glanced at the one with the spear, and then at the one that made his shackles. With Earthbending, he assumed. Staring at him for a long while, he let go of his bed and took another step with his free foot.

Like he expected, the man thrust an arm towards him and more rocks rose over and around it. He could see that despite his words, he was still very much afraid. And that Earthbending works with certain motions of the limbs. Like the energy to cause the earth to move was channeled through the arms and legs.

Which means if he broke them, they couldn't be able to do anything to overpower him. Except he couldn't exactly do that with his feet buried and stone. And it would waste a lot of time to disable all of them. This was one of the many instances where killing people was more convenient than crippling them...

"I bet you're getting uncomfortable, aren't you?" One of the guards gloated. "Well you're going to stay that way for a while! You deserve it, for injuring Zing Jou and his platoon!"

He tuned out his chatting with his own thoughts. They were mostly about plans on how to get out of here. And a part of him was wishing that Dan and Laurie were here in this place.... so they can help break him out, if all else failed.

"Actually, you're getting a lucky break. The Avatar's coming over here soon, to check you out, so you won't be stuck like this forever!" He rattled his bars, hoping to irritate the prisoner. "A lot of people think you're the Spirit of Vengeance, Rok Sha. I admit, you do look like him a bit. Both of you have a constantly shifting black and white face. But that's it. Sure, you have that strange small staff that releases ink, and you came out of nowhere in a flash of blue light. That's what some witnesses said. But your face? It's a mask. You put it on right after you got here. They said that also. So you're just a crazy man, pretending to be Rok Sha, and killing people while you're at it!

"Spirit or not, that isn't right. So it's my pleasure to keep you trapped in here. Permanently."

He was intrigued at the interesting tidbits that he heard out of the entire rant. The Avatar. Rok Sha, the Spirit of Vengeance. It was a mere coincidence that he looked like something revered in their world. But the Avatar... he remembered the woman talking about him. Also worshipped here. And very much a real person, from what he could gather.

"Kaido, you know you're not allowed to talk to the spirit. Not that much anyway." The other guard told the talkative one, still pointing his spear at him.

"He's not a spirit! Weren't you listening to me?" He threw up his hands in frustration. "If all of you weren't so scared to touch him, even when he's unconscious, then you would've seen that his face is a mask! A stupid mask!"

He half-hoped that the guards would start fighting, which would distract them enough to get him free. But they remained vigilant, and his feet stayed stuck to the ground.

He stuck his hands into his pocket, fishing around for something useful. Though they hadn't taken off his mask, they had emptied out everything in his jacket. That or everything fell out when he was knocked into the air.

"Sir! Avatar Aang is here!"

"Already?" The guard, Kaido, turned away from the captive for a moment to face someone rushing in. "We just sent a message to him this morning!"

"He was in the area, and sky bisons _are_ really fast. Should he be sent in now?"

Sighing, the man nodded and gestured the other guard to relax his position. "If there's anyone that can get to the bottom of this spirit madness, it's the Avatar."

He looked up as the door outside squeaked open. He had heard things about him, how he ended the war and how powerful he was. Maybe he was like Jon to these people, in function anyway. He was a bit apprehensive on how he was, on a personal level. He didn't want another godlike person smiting him or banishing him to another world.

A thirteen year old kid clutching a staff walked in and in front of his cell. He was dressed simply, like a monk, and had arrows adorning his head and limbs. Curious, and not what at all he expected from a savior.

Because was this place so pathetic, that it needed a _child_ to save them?

"This is the 'spirit', huh?" The Avatar held onto a bar and peered in like he was an exhibit in a zoo. "Looks the part, with the face and all. But doesn't feel like it."

Kaido nudged his partner and smiled. "I was right, you see?" He whispered into his ear.

"It doesn't hurt to check though. Mind if I come in?"

It seemed like the question was aimed at the prisoner, even though he turned to face the guards when he asked. They glanced at each other for a moment before tossing the keys towards him.

"Thanks."

After opening the door, he closed it again and tossed the keys back at the guards. He still remained out of reach. And it didn't look like he was stupid enough to make a mistake either. A mistake that would give him a chance of freedom.

"Hmmm…" The Avatar stepped closer, smiling slightly like this was some kind of game. He stared down at the feet shackles and gave a quizzical look at the guards.

"Hey, he's dangerous! He would've killed you by now if he could!"

"Doesn't look dangerous to me." He shrugged. He returned his glance to the stranger, and before he could blink, darted in and flicked his forehead before returning to his previous spot. Out of reach again.

"He isn't a spirit. His face, though it looks like Rok Sha's, is made out of fabric. A strange kind, but it isn't the kind spirits wear."

How could he tell all that from the spilt second he touched him? And backing up a bit, how did he move so fast that he almost missed what he did?

"So if he isn't a spirit, what is he? He appeared in a burst of blue light! Isn't that something… spiritual?"

"I dunno." The Avatar replied. "I might have to look up that trick later. But he's just a regular person."

"A regular person?! He killed a person for no reason and took out a group of our best guards!"

"If that's your best, then it was my pleasure to show how weak they were."

All faces turned towards the speaker. The person that was standing in the cell, bound by the earth, and didn't seem to care too much about it.

"Ok. Let's try this again." The boy waved his hand, as if hoping to wipe out the tension in the air.

It did do something. The rocks around his feet sank back into the ground, and he was free to move around if he felt like it. He was shocked by the action, and expected that the guards would reapply the manacles. They didn't.

"My name's Aang. You probably figured that I'm the Avatar already. What's yours?"

"Rorschach."

He heard the guards gasp when he spoke again. Not because he was being talkative for once, but most likely because it had a strong resemblance of the Spirit of Vengeance's name.

"Nice to meet you-"

Aang was cut off by the sudden movement from Rorschach. His fingers wrapped around his small neck, and he was in position to snap it with the slightest pressure.

"None of you will move unless I tell you to or else he gets it." He hissed. "And listen very carefully. One of you will open the door, and I'll walk out of here without interruption. I'm taking the Avatar with me until I am free, and if there's _any_ interference, he gets his little neck broken. And that would be a damn shame, wouldn't it?"

The guards were shaking in the boots, and one of them looked like he was going to do it. His hands were white and sweaty with fear as they gripped the keys tightly and shuffled his way towards the door.

"No! Stop! I'll be fine!" Aang shouted out, making the guard stop in his tracks.

"I don't see how kid. OPEN THE DOOR OR HE DIES!"

None of them moved. His fingers squeezed a little closer.

"Do you really mean it?" The child said, panting heavily. "Most people… they don't have the guts to kill. Including myself. And they end up fine without doing so."

"Not me. I wouldn't regret it if I broke your neck now." He tried to constrict his hand some more, but found that he couldn't do it. Not because he didn't want to, but because it was frozen. Literally. Ice crystals were growing on his gloves, and every time the Avatar breathed on them, more encased his fingers.

"By the way, you smell really bad. It doesn't hurt to wash yourself, especially your hands. Since your sweat makes your gloves wet, and that can be frozen."

With that, Aang jabbed his staff into his side and slid out from his grasp when he was distracted with pain. Before Rorschach could even react, a gust of air slammed into him and drove him into the back wall, where he was quickly enclosed by a wall of earth.

Damn. More surprise magic. He almost expected someone to be breathing fire next.

"Avatar! Are you alright?" Seeing that the man was subdued again, the guards had enough courage to open the doors and let him out of the room. The boy rubbed his neck and glanced at the prisoner again. He didn't look angry, he looked like he was confused to him…

"I'm alright." He told them. "I really wish he didn't have to be locked up like that though."

"He's dangerous! It was lucky you thought of that or else you would've been done for!"

"For this life." The Avatar let out a small laugh. "I'll try again tomorrow, see if I can get some more details into who he really is. For now, keep a really, really close eye on him. But don't torture him either. I don't think he deserves that yet."

Aang looked at him one last time before walking away, his staff making a clanging noise with every step. The echoing of the door slamming indicated his departure for now, and Rorschach was alone with the guards again.


	3. Think about it

Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm going to warn in advance, I don't think this chapter's going to be very exciting and full of action. But it's important to get Rorschach and everyone up to speed, so yeah. Sorry?

Disclaimer: I don't own any ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor Watchmen. They belong to their respective creators. But any original characters and ideas belong to me.

---

That was humiliating. Being beaten up by both a kid and a woman. He tried to focus on other things, like coming up with plans for getting out of this prison. But that was all he could think about. He was beaten up by a kid and a woman.

It was a while until the stone around Rorschach relaxed and he was allowed to walk free. In his prison cell. Though the Avatar said that he wasn't the Spirit of Vengeance, the guards still were afraid that he would be able to kill them with a glance.

So any attempts to gather more info about the jail, Earthbending, the Avatar, or anything else didn't work because they were all too scared to talk to him. He spent his time pacing around his room, glancing at them once in a while and making them shrink backwards.

It was late at night when something interesting happened. He could tell because moonlight was streaming through a nearby window, and he was dozing off on his cot.

The light was temporarily blocked by a humanoid shadow. He jerked awake when he heard footsteps making their way towards his cell and whispers from the other prisoners that were passed by.

The guards were barely awake enough to notice the intruder. When they opened their eyes, it was because she kicked their necks and broke them in a flash.

Yes. It was a woman. The same woman from yesterday, that annoyed him then kicked his ass. Though she looked different, since her long dark hair was tied up in a pony tail and her green eyes glinted with a malice that wasn't visible before.

There was no doubt that she was here for him. "What are you doing here?" He hissed as she came closer.

"Well... I didn't feel like we got to know each other properly, last time we met. But I think you'll be much more open now that you're in jail."

He opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted when she continued on.

"Let's get to know each other more first. I heard that you're Rorschach from the guards, and that you tried to kill the Avatar today. Only that didn't go so well, didn't it?

"Anyway, my name is Yun. Rhymes with soon. I told you I used to be part of the Dai Li. Only thing is, I'm still am. We've suffered quite a blow, ever since we were exposed to doing... questionable things. But we were trying to make this city a better place. Surely you'd understand that. I mean, what you did to that mugger, that's basically what _we_ had to do to bad people when we were in power. And yet, the public didn't like us, and eventually forced us into hiding by them. _And_ the Avatar." She snarled when she mentioned Aang, making him wonder if this whole place centered around that damn kid.

"We're not so different, Rorschach. We both tried to do what was right for Ba Sing Se, and we both got into trouble for it. We're both feared by everyone because of what we did, even though it's for their wellbeing. And we're both pretty powerful. Even without any bending powers, it looks like you can handle yourselves against the city's soldiers. And any scum that happens to cross you."

He got the impression that she set up the encounter for the mugger and the guards so that she could test his skills. That, and she knocked him out so she'd have him right where she wanted him. He could never trust women.

"What I'm saying is this. Join the Dai Li,and you'll get the respect and appreciation you deserve. And we can help you if you ever get yourself into another sticky situation like this."

Yun leaned in closer, letting silence fill the air so the man could reply. Except he didn't know his answer yet. The invitation was tempting and he fit the membership requirements in every way, but she hadn't established herself as a very honest person. He didn't exactly do well in groups too.

"Haven't decided yet? Don't worry. It's a lot to take in. I'll stop by tomorrow night, and hopefully I'll hear something from you. Until then, think about it."

He watched the Dai Li agent haul the two dead guards to an empty prison cell and buried the bodies with a flick of her wrist. She seemed to blow him a kiss through the air before she left where she came from, through the window. He shuddered.

---

"Two guards vanished last night? Really?"

Like he had said, Aang came back in hopes of learning more about the masked prisoner. He wondered if he had anything to do with their disappearance, especially since they were stationed out of his cell.

"Yup. It didn't look like they left for the night either. The only logical conclusion would be that they're right where we left them, but.... yeah. You see the problem with that answer."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. Being the Avatar wasn't always fun and games, and this was one of the times that showed that. He had other things to do than asking people questions and solving mysteries. But he promised that he'd be here and help out as much as he can until everything was figured out.

At least this time the guards and him were taking precautions to make sure that he doesn't get into danger again. Despite him protesting that he can handle being in the same room with an unbridled Rorschach, they wanted him to keep out of it for his own safety. It wasn't going to help either of them get through anything if there were bars between them.

"Hey. Masked dude. Or spirit thing. Look over here."

The guard shook the metal rods, trying to get Rorschach's attention. He glanced up without a word, and sighed seeing that it was interrogation time. At least there won't be a fat doctor and stupid ink blots this time.

"He's not a spirit. And you shouldn't talk to him like that. It isn't very nice." The Avatar gently pushed him aside so he could get closer to him.

"Well, he killed people. Why can't I treat him like the scum he is?"

He said nothing in response and just glared at him, indicating that he should leave. He did.

"Okay soooo..." Aang slumped against the bars and stared at him blankly. "I know you probably don't like me, and you won't answer any of my questions. But I'm doing this to help you, seriously. I don't think you're a bad person. You just have some... issues. That's why they have to keep you in here. I have to agree with them in that you might loose control and take some more lives. But I can help you overcome them, so you don't have to be in here."

Issues? Lack of control? He was glad that his mask was hiding his disbelief for the words he was saying. It was completely necessary! He only viewed them as problems because the god-like Avatar got everything he wanted without effort! Without having to get his hands dirty!

"Don't you have anything to say to that?" He started tapping his staff on the ground out of boredom.

"It's a load of crap." Rorschach muttered, after a period of silence.

Aang took a step back like he had never heard that word before. "I'm trying to help you know! If you want to rot in jail, fine! But this would be a lot easier if you didn't have an attitude-"

"An attitude? You think I have an attitude? I have to clean out the thieves and serial killers and rapists out of the streets with my bare hands! I've seen the worst come out of people that I used to trust! If you think that anyone with a sense of reality has an attitude, then yes! I do have an attitude, and I don't regret it!"

"So you don't regret killing those guards?!" The boy shook the bars violently.

What? Oh. That's right. Those two that enjoyed practicing Earthbending on him, only to be offed by their own source of pride. Of course he would think that he killed him, since they were posted in front of his cell and it's clear they weren't the best of friends.

"And what if I did? You might get better guards then."

"That... isn't the point!" The Avatar was on the verge of shouting. He opened his mouth to say some more, then closed it and leaned on his staff, thinking about what was said or what he was going to tell him.

"Where are you from? People said you came in a flash of blue light. What kind of power can do that?"

"The sky." Because Rorschach didn't feel like answering it truthfully. It would lead to more questions, and he'll have to be stuck replying to them for a while.

"Hmm?" It looked like he believed him for a moment. "Well, I can tell that you aren't from any of the nations. No one wears anything like that, and I haven't seen any fads coming up that can explain it.

"Though it would be easy if you really did fall from the sky." Aang shrugged. "Cause then I could airbend you back up, and if you think that your issues won't get you into trouble in your home, then it'd be better for all of us."

He rolled his eyes and wished that he'd leave soon.

"Come on, tell me where you came from so I can help you get back if you want to. I'm the Avatar, and I don't mean to be bragging, but I'm one of the most powerful people here and there's barely anything that I can't do."

"Can you blow people up with a thought?" He snarled at him. "Can you send others away just by saying so? Can you predict the future? If you can't, you can't help me get back."

That quieted him for the time being. He was surprised that he wasn't given a look of frustration or irritation, but instead of sympathy. He was getting more annoyed by this boy by the second. Why was the most powerful person in this world a completely naïve idiot?

"I... I can try anyway. If you didn't know already, Ba Sing Se has a huge university and someone there might have the info you need. That, and maybe one of my past lives might know something. I don't know what I'll have to be asking around for though. It's hard to help you if I don't know even the name of your home, or how you came here. You suddenly appearing in blue light is rather vague..."

He didn't respond to any of his rambling. Aang watched him for a little while longer before turning to leave.

"Manhattan." Rorschach spoke up before he actually left. The Avatar turned around and gazed at him, expecting him to say some more. He didn't.

"Thank you for finally telling me something." He said in an exasperated tone. "I'll come by tomorrow again after I do some research. Ugh. I never thought I'd actually look things up willingly after what happened last time. Libraries still give me the creeps sometimes because of that...

"Anyway, if you want to tell me anything else, or need help, you can probably ask someone to summon me if I'm in the area. And don't be afraid to do so. I'm doing all this for your sake. Think about it."

He bowed after finishing his small speech and went away at last. Rorschach glared at the guards that came back in and sat down on his cot, mulling over what they had said.


	4. Breakout

Disclaimer: I don't own any ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, or Watchmen. They belong to their respective creators. But any original characters and ideas belong to me.

---

Yun said that she'd come back tonight, to hear his answer. He didn't have one though. The offer was still tempting, especially after the conversation with Aang. Yet, he felt that the Dai Li wasn't as straightforward as she presented it. Like it wasn't the misunderstood, efficient police force that wanted him to join. Maybe instead of bickering with the kid, he should've asked him about it, gathered more information before he'd have to decide.

Things were as quiet as always otherwise. The new guards outside his cell were just as talkative as the previous ones. As in, they didn't do anything but stand around and hold up their spears and arms whenever he moved.

Rorschach didn't mind. The silence was welcoming for once as he thought over the woman and the boy told him.

The light through the window was dimming when the guards were changed around. As soon as the new ones settled in and glared at the prisoner warily, there was a muffled explosion and the ground beneath them shook.

"What the-" One of them cried out and stared at him like he was the cause of all this. Before he could do anything else though, another explosion rocked the prison and almost knocked them off their feet.

Another guard slammed the door open, out of breath but wasn't tired enough to talk.

"We're under attack! Badger moles emerged from underground right in the middle of the complex! They've already destroyed some of the cells and released some of the convicts that were in them! We need ALL the guards to control them!"

One of them nodded and ran over to the messenger without a second thought. The other, however, stayed back and gave him a skeptical look.

"All the guards? They're just badger moles! Why not call a specialist to take care of them?"

"There's another thing though! They're being controlled by the Dai Li! Or what looks like them!"

That got him moving. The three of them sprinted out immediately, without realizing that they left all the prisoners by themselves with no one watching over them. If there was a time for them to escape, it was now.

And Rorschach didn't waste a second of the opportunity. He grabbed the door bars and shook it wildly, the clattering it caused drowned out by the people fighting outside. It was already weakened by the small earthquakes from the badger moles, whatever they were. So it didn't take long for them to detach from the ceiling and floor. With one final push, it fell forward and no longer kept him imprisoned.

Other people also freed themselves by rattling the bars loose, and another earthquake released the rest that weren't as bright. He stood out among the crowd of criminals, being the only one that was masked and wearing a trench coat. Some nervously glanced in his direction and slinked back into their cells, afraid of bringing the wrath of Rok Sha down on them. Many of the others, unfortunately, knew that he wasn't a spirit and didn't fear him enough to get back into line.

And the more pugnacious and dim-witted ones wanted to pick a fight with a weird stranger more than getting out of here.

"Hey! Whatcha wearing that mask for? Think you're too good to show your face to everyone?" A hideous man approached him and grabbed him on the shoulder. "Or maybe you're ugly like me? Haha."

In a flash, Rorschach gripped his hand, twisted it, and flung him over his shoulder to throw him onto the ground. The man groaned once before being silenced by a kick in the jaw.

Apparently, he was a leader of some sort and other people weren't used to him being beaten to easily. The prisoners that remained to watch the one sided fight stared in amazement before dog piling him. Though he managed to knock out one or two, there were too many of them to fend off and he was buried under an angry mob.

By punching, kicking, breaking bones and jabbing eyes, he thinned out the people on top of him enough to stand up and deal with the rest. But he was wasting time! He should be getting out of here, not cleaning up the mess the guards left behind! The thought of getting captured again spurred him to make a mad dash out of the room and prevented him from pausing for anything. Except for anyone that tried to stop him. They were dealt with quickly by neck snapping, or limb snapping if they were the Earthbending guards.

And then it dawned onto him that he didn't know the layout of the place. He had to follow the current of fleeing prisoners, and ended up in outside in the courtyard. Where badger moles were demolishing everything in their path and the only ones that cared about maintaining order again didn't have the ability to stop them.

A boulder tossed by one of the animals almost landed on Rorschach. He jumped out of the way and landed at the feet of a very familiar person…

"Sorry that I wasn't able to get to you when the breakout started. We didn't do this all just for you. There are many Dai Li members imprisoned here, and they're more of a priority than you. At least, that's what others think."

Yun grabbed and pulled him up, only to be shaken off.

"You're welcome." She grumbled and turned to face some guards that launched some rocks at her. With a flick of her wrists, they stopped in mid-air before being redirected at the original launchers. She didn't flinch at their cries of agony when their throats were punctured by the razor sharp stones.

"Anyway, I wish we could talk more. But if you want to get out, get into the tunnels dug by the badger moles. They'll lead you straight to our headquarters."

She pointed to the numerous holes that clustered in the middle of the battleground. Rorschach figured that by escaping through the tunnels, he'd basically be accepting her membership offer. But by a quick scan around, it seemed like the only to run to.

"Oh, and I found this when you were captured. I think you might want it back."

He didn't see what she tossed him until it was in his hands. His pen, without the bloodstains from when he used it as a weapon.

Just as soon as he caught it, a large shadow was casted over the yard, creating even more disorder as everyone beneath it scrambled to get out of the way.

"The Avatar is here!"

A large… thing flew down from the sky and started swatting away prisoners that tried to climb on it with its tail. He called it a thing, because he didn't know what to name a large, white, six-legged, buffalo-beaver animal with an arrow on its head. And he was a bit too busy gawking at it to notice that along with the Avatar, it carried several other kids and teenagers.

He was snapped out of his trance when a hunk of building flew towards him, giving him only a second to duck and turn around. A guard was lifting another chunk to throw at him with Earthbending, but was stopped when Rorschach threw a rock at his forehead, knocking him out.

It was probably risky of him to assume that most people can't control two things at once, but now he knew.

He couldn't be fighting with everyone he saw though. He needed to get to the tunnels in order to escape. Ignoring the debris soaring through the air and the guards getting beaten to a bloody pulp by the Dai Li, he sprinted across the yard and was almost there when…

THWACK!

A floating stream of water lashed him across his shoulders. It surprisingly hurt like a real whip. He whirled around to find a young girl 'holding' the water with her hands, almost like how the guards 'held' pieces of earth in the air.

"I won't have to hit you twice if you just give up!" She said, readying herself to strike again. Though what he was facing was different than Earthbending, he had the suspicion that this had the same principle. Dodging the next attack, he was able to get close enough to the girl to grab her arms and twist them. Painfully.

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

The water collapsed onto the ground as Rorschach released the girl, satisfied at her broken arms. Except why was he getting distracted like this? It wasn't far too the tunnels and he wouldn't be attacked anymore once he got inside.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Unlike the last time, he saw the weapon, a boomerang, coming towards him and grabbed it before it clonked him in the head. The thrower looked to be around fifteen, and also looked very shocked that someone could catch it with their bare hands.

He never used a boomerang before. But it didn't look like it would be hard to throw properly. Rorschach took a split second to aim, and then hurled it at the boy before making his way to the closest hole. He never saw if it met its mark but he assumed that it did, because it didn't come back.

Three steps to freedom, two more steps…

A gust of air knocked him backwards. He knew who attacked him now before he saw him. The Avatar.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FRIENDS?!"

When he opened his eyes, he found a staff right above his neck, in position to crush it. Instincts told him to grab onto it, and he did, only to be swung into the air and smashed into the ground before he do anything.

Rorschach couldn't help but sputter, not only because he got dirt into his mask but because he didn't think he was that powerful. And that someone claiming to not like violence was so ready to fight.

Then he noticed that the arrow tattoos and his eyes were glowing. That should explain a lot.

"You knocked out Sokka! You broke Katara's arms! Not to mention the countless people you maimed and murdered, trying to escape! I have every reason to kill you, right now!"

Aang smacked him with his staff again while he was getting up. And once more for good measure. He picked up the masked man by the collar and brought a flaming hand close to his face.

"But I'm not. I'm not that kind of person. You're going back into prison, and I'm not going to help you get out anymore. You're going to stay there for the rest of your life!"

Truthfully, he wasn't paying attention to what he was saying. He was gathering his strength and waiting for the right moment to strike…

Rock daggers were thrown from behind and would've wounded Aang badly if he hadn't noticed them in time and stopped them with his own bending.

It was Yun! She was clearly unpleased that Rorschach hadn't got away yet, and he was caught by the Avatar. He made his break away right then and there by giving him a sucker punch in the face. He was no longer glowing when he released him and staggered backwards, but he was still wary of both of them.

"You're working with the Dai Li now? Those cold-hearted bastards were brought down for a reason! They took out whoever was in their way, whether they were innocent or not! All for the purpose of controlling the city! They don't really care what happens to you, Rorschach! To them, you're just some tool they can use and discard whenever they feel like it!"

"Don't listen to him! He was the main reason that we disbanded for a while!" She yelled back. "He doesn't know how the real world works! You can't have a utopia without harming a few people!"

"It wasn't ever a utopia! People were brainwashed and beaten just because they did something the Dai Li didn't like! Do you really want to help them do that again?"

"And maybe what we didn't like were people causing panic, disrupting peace!"

He didn't know it was possible to have a shouting match while people were still battling each other around them. It was all about him too. On the grand scheme of things, it seemed rather silly, but now he knew his answer.

"RORSCHACH!"

Taking one of the sharp stones off the ground, he threw it straight at Yun's forehead. It was only because of Aang she survived, as he conjured a small wind to blow it away. The rock instead stabbed her in the eye.

"AAAARGH!" She let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell to the ground, staining her hands as she held onto her face.

"What did you do that for?! I mean, I'm glad that you didn't join the Dai Li, but you didn't have to try and kill her!" The boy shouted and started to glow again.

He almost told him his reason, but figured that he would be wasting his time as he wouldn't understand a thing he said. As it involved a certain ruthless, utopia-striving man. And he didn't want to stand by and watch anyone destroy the world again.

Before he could resume his escaping though, Aang summoned some more earth shackles to bind his feet. He was really getting sick of those. But he knew the hand motions that were used to make one by now, and jumped away before they could get to him.

He wasn't going to get arrested again! Not when he was so close to freedom!

Rorschach had to keep on leaping to avoid the rock traps before he was close enough to the anguishing Yun. Then in the split second he had, he threw her at the boy and was able to breathe easier now that he didn't have to bounce around all the time.

He still wasn't out of the woods yet. The guards figured out that if he was dangerous enough to defeat the Avatar, he was more of a concern than the rampaging badger moles and the Dai Li agents.

Speaking of badger moles, one stomped by, with the intent to devastate another section of the prison. He gripped onto its fur and used it to climb onto its back. The creature didn't seem to notice its new rider until he kicked its side. With a loud roar, it swung its claws blindly at anyone close by it, in an attempt to bat him off. When that didn't work, it hollered again before making a tunnel and diving into it.

He had to hold onto his hat so it wouldn't fly off, and he had to clutch onto the fur so he'd stay on. The last minute plan worked better than he expected though. Now, if he knew where he was being taken to…


	5. Tea

Disclaimer: I don't own any ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor Watchmen. They belong to their respective creators. But any original characters and ideas belong to me.

---

The badger-mole figured out that making its way deeper underground wasn't going to get the man off of it. No matter how much thrashing and bucking it did, he still clung on like a flea. So, with a low growl, it headed towards the surface and busted through the street above it. When that didn't seem to faze him at all, it rammed its back on the nearest building and dove back into the hole that it created a second before.

Rorschach couldn't hold on when being slammed against a stone wall and slumped to the ground in a heap when he let go of the creature. It wasn't needed anymore anyway. He was out of prison and free to… well… That breakout did free a lot of criminals. They were infesting the streets again. So he'll have to take care of them, just like he was back home. Except the god-like figure here actually minded his way of cleaning the city. And he was going to be a problem. Along with the Dai Li. Hopefully they'll be too busy fighting each other to notice the new vigilante.

First things first. He needed to blend in. His mask and trenchcoat made him stick out too much. It was practically an invitation for the guards to arrest him again. Luckily, they never took off his mask in fear of getting their spleen punched out. So no one knows what he looks like without it.

That was one easily solved problem. Even though he didn't look exactly like other people, with his red hair and non-Asian structure.

But new clothes. That was the bigger challenge. He didn't have any money to buy any, and no one would want to hire a wanted man. So he'd have to steal some. As much as the thought made him squirm, the prospect of going back to jail was far less appealing. And once he had a job, he could pay the person back. Whoever the victim was going to be.

Folding his mask and hat and shoving them into a pocket, he was glad that it was near midnight and few people, if any, were roaming around. Less witnesses to the crime he was going to commit. And less eyes to see his true face. Walter Kovacs. God, he hated that man. He was weak, a nobody.

The neighborhood he was in was vastly different than the one he first arrived in. It was definitely cleaner, the houses larger and more luxurious. He figured that this was the place where the rich, higher class people lived. Such a distinction didn't surprise him, but he was still appalled. It looks like there are some things about a big city that had to be the same.

He was also uncomfortable about wearing lavish clothing, since that's the only thing that going to be found around here. The most fashionable piece of attire he had was his inkblot mask after all. But beggars can't be choosers. Unless he felt like taking a stroll out of this place, he'll have to settle with whatever he got.

It didn't take long before he found something. Some robes were flapping in the small breeze that blew through the backyard they hung in. They looked just about his size, if a bit larger around the waist. Glancing about to make sure no one was watching, he darted in and snatched one or two before he could reconsider.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Crap. It was just his luck that an old chubby man looked out his window for a second and saw someone stealing his clothes. He faltered for a moment before jumping over a hedge and fleeing with the garments.

The man was impossibly fast for someone his age. And he knew the place better than him. Rorschach tried to get him off his trail by making sudden turns and knocking over vases and whatever else was lying around, but his pursuer almost seemed to be expecting those sorts of tricks. It only took one decision to end the chase. When he veered left, he was surrounded by tall buildings and the man blocked the only way out.

"Now are we done with this game? My body isn't like what it used to be you know."

To his surprise, he didn't seem angry at all. And he was smiling a bit. For the hundredth time today, he wondered what the hell was wrong with these people.

"I guess we are." He sighed and took a step closer. "You know, if you wanted clothes, you could've just asked. I have plenty that I don't wear anymore. And I completely understand why you'd want new ones. That coat you're wearing… is smelly and ugly. No offense."

He didn't take any. He was more bewildered with the fact that the old man was giving away the clothes to a complete stranger. And he didn't recognize him as someone that escaped from prison, however that might be done.

"Though, you can't take those. They're my favorite robes. If you want, you can come back to the Jasmine Dragon and I'll give you some clothes there. It's my tea shop, if you don't know yet."

Was this a trap set up by someone so he could get caught again? It was a strange one. And pathetic. It was like there was no effort in covering up the meaning of the invitation.

"Are you coming or not? My bones are aching from standing out here in the cold."

Yet, no one knew he was Rorschach without the mask. This wasn't an attempt to catch him, because no one knew who he was. And besides, he could take on an old, weary person, even if he might have qualms against it.

"Yeah. I'm coming."

---

He never knew that such a large building was devoted solely to tea. The idea seemed ridiculous at first, but when Iroh, the old man, told him that he also lived here and that his tea was the finest in the land, it was a bit more plausible.

"I'm surprised that you haven't heard of the Jasmine Dragon, even if you're a newcomer here." He told him. "I don't mean to boast, but my tea attracts people from all over the world. I don't suppose you like tea, don't you?"

Rorschach shrugged. He didn't really have an opinion on it. It was pretty scarce in New York.

"Well I can give you a free cup, if you like. Tea can give you energy to a tired soul like yours."

He was tired. But he didn't know if he could trust anything that the man gave him so eagerly. Like the clothes that were laid out in front of him. He had to shake them thoroughly and check for anything dangerous woven in the fabric before he agreed to put them on.

"They fit you! Marvelous!" Iroh clapped out of delight when he saw him in his new clothes. The old man was carrying a tray with two steaming cups of tea, and offered one of them to him. He accepted it, but didn't drink it right away, preferring to swish the liquid around at first. Satisfied that there weren't any signs of poisoning, he gulped it down and nearly spat it out the instant it touched his tongue. He forgot how hot the tea was!

"I'm guessing you don't like it then?" He asked, drinking the tea in small sips. "It's alright. Tea is one of those things that grow on you. My nephew didn't like it that much at first. He used to work here though, so he had to get used to tea. And now he can appreciate it, though he isn't as much as a fanatic as me."

The old man laughed a bit, annoying Rorschach even more. It seemed wrong that he was this friendly and trusting to a stranger he found on the streets. A stranger that tried to steal his clothes a while ago.

"Need to get going now." He mumbled and set the empty cup on the tray. Except, he didn't know where he was going to go, but he'll figure it out eventually. At least he didn't stand out too much, even if he also needed to take care of his trenchcoat and mask. If only he had a bag of some sort…

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind if you stayed a while. It's a bit lonely, after my nephew moved out. And though I have my employees, they don't stay with me all the time and are rather dull. I think you would've liked him, actually. My nephew. You both are loners at heart and are always rushing off somewhere."

… Was he asking him to stay here? He stared at him for a long while, trying to decide if he was that naïve or just crazy like everyone else here.

It didn't feel right anyway, living with a person he just met, even temporarily. This might all be some sort of elaborate trap after all. He could never be too careful.

"You've done enough for me." Rorschach replied back and turned to leave. He thought that it'll be the end of that conversation, but Iroh didn't give up yet.

"I know that you don't have any place to go. You just came here, out of the blue. Quite literally." He chuckled. "And I also know that your pride won't let you go so easily. You want some way to repay me for the clothes and that cup of tea. So you could work for me, just a little while, until you find another place to live in."

Startled at how much of that was accurate, he stopped himself from stepping out of the door and whirled around to face him.

"How did you know that I'm not from here? I came here out of the blue?"

"Well… I have my ways." His grin broadened more. "It's an interesting story. I can tell you sometime if you stay."

Goddamnit. He just wanted to punch that smile off his face. It felt like he was keeping something important from him. Something that could help him return home.

Fine. If staying here was the only option he had to learn more about this mysterious man, then he'd take it.

"Oh, and I don't think I got your name. Did I…?"

"No. You didn't. It's Ro-"

He was almost going to tell him that his name was Rorschach, but he remembered that he was a wanted man. And he didn't know many Chinese names, so he'll have to wing it and hope for the best.

"It's Roko."

"That's a good name." Iroh nodded. He relaxed a bit, even though he hated the name he just came up with now. "That's a good name…" He continued to mutter before leaving him alone in his new bedroom.

---

"I can't believe that some jerk in a mask just kicked your asses! And I missed all of it cause I had to deal with the stupid badger-moles!"

"Language, Toph. And it wasn't that fun. Really."

Aang was still sore from the prison riot that they finally managed to quell after a while. Both from the numerous bruises all over from his body and the fact that the Dai Li was back. And most of the prisoners escaped as an unintended side effect. It was a rough day, and the future didn't look any brighter.

"I think I could've taken him. You just think he's tough cause he stabbed someone in the eye and threw her at you. Speaking of which, what happened to her?"

"Well…" He rubbed the bump on his head that came from that collision. "Some Dai Li agents helped her back into one of the holes while I was distracted by some that pounced on me. So she's gone."

The blind girl scoffed and started walking around. "Again, if I didn't have to help calm the badger-moles, they might have not gotten away!"

"You _are_ the badger-mole expert, since you hung out with them for a long time and all. So you were the best and probably only person there that could take care of them. If you hadn't helped stop their rampaging, everything would've been destroyed."

That didn't smooth over her frustrations as much as he'd hoped. Toph did stop pacing around and sat down on the nearest cushion though.

"It still sucks though. Now instead of a relaxing vacation like we wanted, we'll have to chase down the escapees and find out where the Dai Li are so we can stop whatever they're up to again. It's just like old times, but I do wish we can get a break once in a while."

"Tell me about it." Aang sighed just as the door to another room opened. Sokka stepped out, looking very dismal, along with an old man that scurried away after whispering something into his ear.

"The doctor's doing all he can to help Katara. Her arms won't be completely healed until a couple months though."

He had to restrain himself from swearing or punching something in frustration. What pissed him off more about Rorschach was that he broke _both_ of her arms without thinking. Without any remorse. And he got away. So much for thinking that he still had some good in him.

"I don't… she can't be down for that long." Aang said through his teeth. "Are there any waterbending healers here we can get in touch with?"

"Not as far as I know. Do you want to take her up to the North Pole and see about getting her healed there…?"

It seemed like a good idea, except he didn't like the thought of her leaving without anyone but Sokka. He was a capable warrior, but the two of them could be easily overwhelmed and… he pushed the thought out of his mind.

"Keeping Katara here won't do her much good. She can't do anything to help round up everyone again, and she'll just be a target for people that want revenge on us." Toph spoke up suddenly.

"No she won't! She's still part of the team, and just because she can't bend doesn't mean that she's helpless!"

"Toph's sort of right though." Sokka said reluctantly. "The Dai Li might come after us, seeing as we broke them up originally. And if they find out about Katara's… condition, she'll be the one they go after first. If we slip away to the Northern Water Tribe now, without telling anyone, she'll be safer."

"But…" Aang didn't want to sound like a spoiled brat, but he still didn't want her without him. Travelling in secret was just as dangerous as her staying here. Because lots of things could happen and he won't be able to protect them.

"Well, you don't have to think about it now. But the option's out there." He said, sensing the Avatar's unwillingness. "You should decide really soon though, because word's going to get out and- Hey! It's Hawky!"

Sokka dashed to the window, where a Fire Nation messanger hawk stood with a scroll on its back. He quickly took the parchment off its back, read the message that it contained, and started turning pale.

"What is it Sokka? Who's it from?" Aang leaped up from his sulking position and tried to peer over his shoulder.

"It's from Zuko. You all better listen cause this is really important…"

_Dear Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and others that this may concern,_

_I hope that this letter reaches you before it's too late. Because recently, there has been a breakout in one of our most heavily guarded prisons. The Boiling Rock. We have reason to believe that it's been organized and carried through by the Dai Li, because there were many Earthbenders at the scene, and I do not think that this was the Earth Kingdom's doing._

_Some of our most dangerous and insane criminals have escaped, and though we are working on capturing all of them, most of them have most likely fled with the Dai Li to the Earth Kingdom. Among them is, unfortunately, Azula-_

"WHAT?! She escaped?! I knew Fire Nation security couldn't be trusted-"

Sokka shushed Toph and began reading again.

_We think that the Dai Li targeted this prison specifically for her, and to add some firebenders to their ranks. Before she left, however, she seared a message into one of the guard's body. It told the exact date and time of a second prison breakout, in Ba Sing Se. That's why I'm sending this letter, to warn you…"_

"… Except it was too late. The breakout he wrote of was the one that happened earlier today." He showed the date on the letter to everyone. "And there's more."

… _The Earth Kingdom will still need help in dealing with the Dai Li and its growing army. That's why I'm heading over, at this minute, with a reasonable portion of the Fire Nation army. After all, it is still in the process of rebuilding itself after the war, and it'll be for the best interest for all of us if the threat was put down as quickly as possible."_

"Are you serious?!" Toph stomped on the ground, causing a mini earthquake. "Just as soon as the Fire Nation left, it returns again to help us with this?! I don't believe it. It sounds like a massive conspiracy to conquer the Earth Nation without declaring war!"

"Zuko wouldn't do that. And he's right, in a way. We do need all the help we can get, especially with Azula on the loose." Sokka glared at Toph, upset that she keeps on interrupting. "And it's not like the final lines are important but…"

_We have trusted resources that said that the Dai Li may have infiltrated the Earth Nation army as well, so it's even more imperative that our troops are in position and ready to deal with the threat as soon as possible. Once the Dai Li is finished, we will withdraw our soldiers immediately, as this is not part of a plan to take over the Earth Kingdom in any way._

_A copy of this letter was also sent to the Earth King and Iroh, so they should already know. Give my regards to Appa and Momo._

_Sincerely,_

_Firelord Zuko."_

There was a deafening silence as everyone took in what was just read. Even Toph was quiet, partially because she already voiced her complaints but mostly because Sokka was right. Zuko wouldn't try to take over the Earth Nation again, and yet…

"How long ago was this sent?"

"Mmm. A day or two ago." Sokka handed Aang the letter. He glanced it over one more time and then set it on the table beside them.

"So he'll be arriving tomorrow, or sometime around then."

"What… why aren't you freaking out over this? This is ZUKO, who is the FIRELORD, coming HERE with a HUGE FREAKIN ARMY. Not to mention that AZULA is FREE and she's the one that ALMOST KILLED YOU!"

"Hey! Keep it down! Some people are trying to sleep!"

To everyone's surprise, Katara's voice rang out from the room she was suppose to be resting in. It was somewhat of a relief that she was awake and back to her usual, sometimes cranky self.

"Sorry sis. You heard what was going on though?" Sokka opened the door a tad so he could see her. The fifteen year old girl was in a pitiful state. Both of her arms were wrapped in stiff bandages, like a cast, and she barely had the strength to lift herself into a sitting position.

"Yes. I heard. About Zuko and Azula. And also about me."

More silence. No one knew how to reply to her.

"It'd be nice if there's a discussion about me, that I'd be included. But now that I got your attention, I'm just going to say now, that it's alright if I have to go the North Pole to get healed. Sokka and Toph are right. I can't do anything like this, and I'll be a sitting duck for anyone that figures out that I can't bend. And, while we're up there, we can warn the Northern Water Tribe about the Dai Li, and Azula. They could maybe lend us a hand to. Maybe."

She was looking primarily at Aang while she said that. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, then opened it again.

"I… If you feel like it's the best choice. I can't stop you. But…. Just be safe. Ok? And make it back as soon as you can, when your arms are better."

"Hey, I'm not leaving yet. It's really late at night, and I need some sleep." Katara stifled a yawn. "And you all should get to bed too, if you want to catch some baddies tomorrow."

"Yes _mother_." Toph drawled before heading off to her own bedroom. Sokka was about to leave as well, but Aang stopped him before he could.

"Are you going to go with her, to make sure she's alright during the journey?"

"Of course. And I'm thinking about leaving first thing tomorrow, before anyone else gets the jist of it. If that's ok, o master Avatar."

Aang tried not to scowl and nodded instead. "That's what I was going to ask of you."

"Mmmhmm. Don't worry yourself so much. It's not like us two haven't been alone before."

He nodded again, and watched as Sokka slipped into his room and closed the door behind him. It felt like he was suppose to be more anxious about Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li. But all he could think about was Katara…

Well, maybe his thoughts will be straightened out once he got some sleep. Sleep was good. He yawned and after murmuring a goodnight to his already sleeping friends, fell into a deep slumber.

---

I didn't expect this chapter to be so long. But things might be a bit slow for a while. Both plot-wise and update-wise, since there's less time for me to type chapters. I hope to get a chapter out at least once a week though.


	6. Azula

Hey, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I lied in the last chapter though. I think the plot will move pretty quickly for the next few updates. Yay~

Disclaimer: I don't own any ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor Watchmen. They belong to their respective creators. But any original characters and ideas belong to me.

---

He sometimes wondered if the shelter and clothing was really worth all the trouble. In some ways, this new job was worse than working in a factory for women's clothing.

"Hey! Are you deaf?" One tea shop customer practically shouted into his ear. "I've been waiting here forever and I haven't gotten my tea yet!"

None of the employees liked the man that yelled at everyone just because he had to wait for a couple minutes, or because his tea was too cold or too sweet. They had to comply with him though. He was one of the most respected people outside of the Jasmine Dragon, and it would look bad if he was neglected or kicked out.

Everyone else scuffled away, leaving Rorschach the one to be alone with him.

"You! With the weird hair! You aren't doing anything! Why don't you get me some of this tea?" He shoved a menu into his face, pointing furiously to a line of Chinese characters.

That was another thing. Even though they spoke English, they wrote in Chinese. Or another Asian language like it. It made no sense, like everything else about this place. And he couldn't read any Chinese at all, so he had no clue what kind of beverage he wanted.

He pretended he did though. "We don't make that."

"Are you kidding me?! I saw a guy with a whole tray of it pass by me recently!"

"Correction. We don't make that for assholes like you."

The reaction was priceless. His face blushed red and swelled up like a tomato with a fuzzy mustache. Slamming the menu onto the table, he pushed the chair away and starting screaming and spitting into his face.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?! AN ASSHOLE?! HOW DARE YOU?!"

By that point, the whole restaurant was staring at the two, but none of them were concerned about their new audience.

"Yes. I did. And you know what else I'm not afraid to do?"

Before he could say anything, he grabbed the elaborately decorated sleeves of the man's robes, dragged him towards the entrance, threw him at the ground and gave him a good kick out the door.

No one made a sound. They continued to gawk at the foreign tea server that had only been working here for a few days but already made an impression on all of them.

He ignored their intense gaze. Because when he turned around, Iroh had stepped out of the backroom and managed to figure out what happened based on the shocked silence that filled the air.

"Roko… I think it's best if you stuck with dishwashing."

---

Rorschach was able to listen in on the important conversations while pretending he was busy with the dishes. It was a bit harder to hear anything over the clattering of teacups, but at least he didn't have to deal with anyone.

"Firelord Zuko! What are you doing here?"

He glanced out of the corner of his eye and was surprised to see a teenage boy dressed in fanciful robes and surrounded by intimidating bodyguards. Intimidating to others.

"I need to talk to you. It's... important. Is there someplace private we can talk in?"

"Oh yes. Come with me."

The boy gestured the guards away while the two of them went back into the room where he was washing dishes. There was a curtain dividing this room and another, and Iroh indicated that they should step in there, but Zuko stopped when he saw Rorschach.

"Who… is this?"

"Oh, he's Roko. He's a stranger from another country, and needed a place to stay in and a job. So I gave him both."

'Roko' acted like he wasn't hearing the conversation, but he and the Firelord still made eye contact, noting th unique scar on the Firelord's right eye. Averting his gaze, he made an effort to look like there was a nasty stain on a dish and scrubbed hard at it.

"Uncle, you can't be picking up random people off the streets and helping him! I mean, especially during these times! In case you haven't noticed, there was a massive prison breakout recently and he could be one of those prisoners as far as you know! A dangerous one! Or," He had to stop and breathe for a moment, "He could be part of the Dai Li, sent here to destroy you in secret. Or he could even be sent from Az-"

Iroh shook his head, which quieted his nephew for the time being. "Don't worry, dear Zuko. I know who he is, and he is no enemy of mine. Now, what were you here for, besides ranting about my employees?"

He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. Instead, he scowled and glared at the mysterious man one last time before ducking under the curtains and into the private room.

---

'Roko' stopped doing the dishes and leaned against the wall near the curtain. Iroh and the Firelord were talking about a meeting that was going to take place later that day, in the Council War Room, wherever that is. Iroh and Firelord were going to attend, along with several other important political and military figures. Which most likely included the Avatar. 'Roko' was back doing the dishes when they both popped out.

"Roko, I'm leaving now. Make sure that the shop's closed up tight and you can do whatever you like, ok?" Iroh said before shutting the door behind him.

He was such a naïve, old man. It was rather pathetic, especially since he apparently was significant enough to be invited to the meeting personally by the Firelord. Then again, said person was his nephew.

Minutes later, a man in a black and white mask was prowling on the rooftops, following Iroh down below. Rooftops, because there were Fire Nation soldiers all over the streets. He figured that they were there to help catch the criminals that recently escape, but something about that bugged him. Countries don't usually help another country with massive breakouts. Especially not with their own troops. Was there something else that would encourage them to act this way, something that concerned them too? That's why he wanted to go to the meeting.

Whatever the reason, the soldiers were a pain in the ass when he resumed his vigilantism during the night. Luckily, they don't have the tendency to look up, so the journey to the war room was easy when he didn't stop for anything.

He finally stopped in front of a large building with only one apparent way in. And that was guarded by several Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation soldiers. They stepped aside to let Iroh in, and then stepped in front of the door after he was inside.

It wouldn't be possible for him to get in through there. Not without alerting them of his presence. Jumping down from the roof and into a dark alley, he scanned the outside of the building searching for another way in.

There was flicker of movement near the back that no one would've caught if they weren't looking for it. Then it was gone. That was enough though. Rorschach dashed over when the guards weren't looking and examined the place where it had disappeared.

He felt a crack in the wall, and when he pushed it, a hidden door revealed itself and swung open. That was easy. But as soon as he stepped in, a dagger of blue fire was up to his neck before he could blink.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?!"

The blazing weapon enabled him to see his attacker. Another Fire Nation soldier covered in armor and a mask, but the voice was distinctly feminine. And, like what he had discovered about these people a few nights ago, also had the ability to Firebend. That's what he called it anyway.

"I could ask you the same question." He said, sensing the blade starting to burn out.

She paused for a moment, and then made the fire disappear with a flick of her wrist.

"I'm… supposed to be in the war room right now, keeping everyone that's not invited out. Only I was late, and they wouldn't let me in. Now they have the room locked-down now. I have to use this secret passage to get in, or else I'll get in trouble for not showing up. And then you followed me in… I should have been more careful."

She started climb up the stairs, creating a small fireball in her hands to light the way. Though he found her circumstances a little odd, he didn't find any reason to not follow her.

"I know that you're Rorschach. One of the many prisoners that escaped, though they told us that you're the most dangerous. You don't seem so to me. I think they're just scared because you broke the Avatar's girlfriend's arms, and she's a Waterbending master. She isn't that strong. Because…"

The soldier stopped in mid-sentence, her voice trailing off like she was remembering something. She even stopped in her tracks, only jerked awake when she realized that he was moving on without her.

"Anyway, here's a deal. You don't tell anyone I was late and had to take the secret tunnel to get in, and I won't turn you in."

Rorschach just nodded. Even if she was going to break the promise anyway, he should be able to take her down and bring her to justice. He hated corrupt policemen, but they had their uses.

---

When they got to the top of the stairs, he could tell that she was disappointed. They ended up in the war room alright, but they were in a room close to the ceiling of it, not at the ground. She couldn't get down and pretend she was there all along without breaking her leg, or at least making some noise.

"Damn it! All that work and I'll still be in trouble anyway…" She hissed while staring down into the room below. While Rorschach stood next to her to watch the meeting, she sighed and grabbed the rim of her helmet.

"I don't think I'll turn you in anyway. Don't worry. It's pretty hot in here though. Do you mind if I take off my helmet?"

She didn't wait for a response and took it off anyway. He glanced at her only briefly before turning back to the session down below. The girl was awfully young to be in the army. Around 15 or so. And she was pretty in a way, with her piercing golden eyes and messy brown hair. But she wasn't his type.

Whatever else she said after showing her face to him was ignored, because the council below starting talking again.

"Do you know how long it would take for you to find the Dai Li and flush them out without my soldiers? Too long! And that's without the assumption that your army has been infiltrated by them!"

It was obvious that Firelord Zuko was struggling to keep his temper in check. Iroh, who was sitting next to him, gave everyone else a look of apology.

"The Fire Nation never had the right to barge into Ba Sing Se, especially with so many of their soldiers, for any reason at all!" Someone spoke up from the other end of the table, presumably a general. "Who told you that some of our soldiers are members of the Dai Li anyway? We go through a thorough background check for every man and woman!"

"She had taunted us, right before she escaped, saying that she has allies everywhere! That's the source right there!" Zuko hissed.

"And you believe her? She could be playing with your mind, making you do unnecessary things like this!" A different general spoke up. "It just confirms that you sending your troops here to help capture the Dai Li isn't helping us at all. You're reacting on one small thing before you really think about it!"

"AZULA ISN'T A SMALL THING! SHE'S A REAL THREAT TO EVERYONE AND WE HAVE TO TAKE HER SERIOUSLY!"

The girl next to Rorschach seemed to smile at Zuko's outburst.

"Guys! Remember! This is suppose to be a _peaceful_ war meeting, which means everyone has to calm down!" Aang himself was on the verge on shouting.

The Firelord shot a peeved glance at him. "I am calm! Obviously, you never been to a real war meeting before, because people shout like this all the time!"

"No, not here!" The same general that provoked him into that outrage said. "In the Fire Nation, yes, because everyone there _including _their leader are shortsighted hot-heads that challenge others to an Agni Kai every other minute-"

He was interrupted by Aang, who coughed quietly while tapping his staff on the table. "Let's... talk about something else then. Whether Azula was lying about having Dai Li agents in the Earth Kingdom army-"

"It's a ridiculous notion that the ranks have been infiltrated! She's just playing games with everyone, making things worse than they are-"

"She wouldn't be lying about that sort of thing!"

"GUYS!" Aang was getting a headache from all this bickering. He couldn't understand why they had to argue about everything, especially since they were relatively peaceful at the beginning of the meeting. After a blissful moment of silence, he tried again.

"Whether she was lying or not, we all know that she's the number one target right now." Aang started again. "She is leading the Dai Li, so if we capture her, the Dai Li will go down, and we win. It's just the matter of how." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Since it's not likely that she'll show herself anytime soon, we might have to find an agent instead and see if he knows anything. Hmm. We should've captured one during a prison breakout, so he could tell us where their headquarters is. Or at least followed the tunnels that they made during the breakout here…"

While he was rambling, the girl next to him got up and started walking around.

"That isn't helping us much. Where do you think we're going to find a Dai Li agent?" One of the generals told him.

"I dunno." The boy shrugged. "We could ask Long Feng."

"We already tried that, the day after the breakout." Another general said. "He isn't saying anything."

"I know where we can find a Dai Li agent." Zuko spoke up again. "In the Earth Kingdom army. I suggest that my soldiers and I comb through your people and check for anybody that's questionable while attempting to secure a source of information as to where their headquarters are, how many others are of the Dai Li, etc. Of course, that means that your army will have to be temporarily suspended and placed under house arrest, but-"

"What?! That's outrageous!" A man that had been quiet for most of the meeting stood up, angered by what he said. "You can't do all that on the assumption that there's a Dai Li agent among us! How do you know that your troops aren't infiltrated, if you're so paranoid about mine?!"

"With all due respect Earth King Kuei, my soldiers are drawn from the Fire Nation Royal Palace Guard. I personally know each and every one of them, I picked the ones that especially have a personal grudge against Azula. Yours, on the other hand, released the Dai Li and other criminals back into the city. After all, you didn't imprisoned all of the them, so they just could have joined the city guards."

"How dare you say that?!" The Earth King was red with anger. "I can't let you do this on a suspicion, especially with my troops!"

"Then you're just helping Azula then! You're letting her soldiers roam free in Ba Sing Se, undermining everything that you've been working on for the past few months! You're helping her take over your city when you won't admit that there might be a chance of an infiltration!"

"And I should just let the Fire Nation troops control the city all in the name of Azula? It seems to me that she didn't have to do much to take the throne."

Suddenly, much to the all the onlookers' surprise, Iroh placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder and stood up.

"We're all playing right into her hand. This is part of Azula's plan, to divide and create mistrust between the two countries that are here today. With each of you acting separately, she could take all of you down easier. Plus, if she doesn't destroy anyone just yet, the people will do it themselves. The citizens of Ba Sing Se certainly don't appreciate a second occupation of the Fire Nation, and if they learn of the arrests of the guards they trust more, a rebellion might be on our hands."

"But... Don't you agree that it's necessary?" His nephew turned to him, no longer quite as fired up.

"Not the way you suggested it." It was Aang's turn to speak. "Iroh's right. If they hear of the Fire Nation locking up their own guards, the trouble they cause won't be worth it. But we do need to find the Dai Li out, and if Azula said that they're in the Earth Kingdom army, then they are. Sorry Kuei."

When he turned to give a look of apology, he saw that the man remained silent and his face solemn.

"It wouldn't hurt to check them all over, but it shouldn't be solely conducted by the Fire Nation. I can help run it. And so can the Earth King, and the generals, and Toph. She can tell if anyone's lying, isn't that right?

"...Toph?"

Alarmed that she wasn't sitting next to her like she was beforehand, he glanced around the room and saw her standing next to the wall.

"That's right. And you know what else I can do?" The blind girl turned to Aang briefly and then placed a hand on the wall. "I can tell if there's people here, when they shouldn't be."

Shit. This wasn't going to end well.

Taking in a deep breath, she punched the wall with her other hand, the resulting force cracking the place she struck. And it also created stone pillars that launched both Rorschach and the girl into the room.

He fell with an ungraceful thud. He was lucky that he didn't gain anything more than bruises though.

The girl seemed to have anticipated this, and kicked her heels so a jet of blue fire flamed out of her feet. She propelled herself towards the other end of the room and torpedoed herself into the unsuspecting Aang, knocking him unconscious.

"Well done little girl." She tossed back her stray hair that fell in front of her face. "I thought that the ice witch would've found me first. Pity that she had to run because she let her arms get broken though. A rematch would be nice."

Everyone was in shock at the sudden appearance of their worst enemy, except for the masked man that was still trying to regain his bearings.

"AZULA!" Zuko was the first one to recover from the surprise. "Why are we just standing here, listening to her talk?!" He stood up and knocked his chair away. "Get her!"

"Oh, Zuzu, you haven't changed a bit." She casually flicked her palms open, creating two balls of blue fire. "Who's going to get me though? I did say that I have friends everywhere, even in this very room."

All the guards suddenly pointed their spears at the Firelord and his friends, instead of at the girl. If that wasn't bad enough, the door was smashed open as more people wearing the Earth Kingdom uniforms flooded in, weapons and sharp rocks readied. And many Earthbenders in the Dai Li apparel dropped down from the ceiling, stone gauntlets on their hands.

"Before you think about surrendering, I think it's fair that you should know that I'll kill you anyway. Or maybe I'll let you all live because you did stick me in jail rather than executing me. I actually haven't made up my mind yet." She shrugged, gazing at everyone and everything with her golden eyes.

"So what'll it be? Will you surrender?"

---

Thanks to my brother for helping me type up the war meeting of this chapter. I'm not that great at making political stuffs. And yes I should have the next chapter done soon.


	7. Firefight

Sorry I haven't updated as recently as I said I would. But this is a really long chapter to make up for it or something!

Disclaimer: I don't own any ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor Watchmen. They belong to their respective creators. But any original characters and ideas belong to me.

---

"No! We'll never surrender!"

Some flaming daggers shot out of Zuko's hands, and his firebending soldiers did the same. Before they could attack though, Azula brought the blue fireballs she was holding closer to Aang's head.

"That's a pity. But of course, I don't think you realized that I'm standing right on top of your precious Avatar, and that I could kill him before anyone of you could reach me. It would be a shame to lose him, especially since he's one of the few that can stop us."

The Firelord faltered a bit, realizing that what she was saying was true. None of them could attack her without risking the Avatar's life. And they would've been stopped by the corrupt guards and Dai Li agents anyway.

"You know, I think I'll be nice and ignore your last answer. So tell me again. Will you surrender?"

Rorschach at this point had recovered from the fall. He could hear every word being exchanged, and knew that Zuko's side was in a bad position. And unless he helped, it would be her and the Dai Li that would win the impending fight.

They were so focused on each other that they didn't notice he was conscious again, fortunately for him. While the room was silent save for the cackling fire, he inched forward so slowly it seemed that he wasn't moving at all.

"I'm still waiting Zuzu. The option of burning the Avatar is getting more tempting by the minute." Azula let a small jet of flame lick his cheek.

At that moment, she was knocked over when Rorschach lunged at her feet. It didn't take very long for her to get up, but he was also standing when she did and ready to strike at her again.

"You… I thought we would be in this together!" She hissed. "We have much more in common than those people, why are you siding with them?!"

He didn't answer. He just threw a punch at her jaw, which connected and made her stumble back. And he would've attacked her again if she didn't release a burst of flame at him.

"Now's our chance!" Zuko shouted. "General How, Sung, protect the Earth King and get him out of here! Everyone else, focus your attacks on Azula! Don't let her get away!"

"Who put you in charge?" One of the Earth Kingdom soldier sneered before launching himself at a Dai Li agent.

"Is this really the time to argue?" Zuko replied back. Seeing as whoever asked the question wasn't paying attention anyway, he blasted several enemy guards with fire and made his way closer to Azula.

Seeing that everyone was ganging up on her now, she launched another fireball at Rorschach to keep him away and jumped on some flailing guards' shoulders to keep herself out of reach. While she was leaping about on the crowd of people trying to catch her, her allies were flinging stones and spears at them as they weren't being bothered by anyone. On top of that, not all the soldiers were aiming properly, and they hit each other by accident.

Rorschach wondered why he was still here. It was the perfect time to escape, since everyone was distracted by Azula and her soldiers.

But like he told himself before, he had to help them fight against the Dai Li. He wasn't the person that would stand by and let evil rule the streets.

That didn't mean that he had to like the Fire Nation soldiers, or the Earth Kingdom guards that remained loyal. They were sloppy, inefficient, and in his way. He was bombarded by the wayward flame and stone projectile so much that he had to take a shield from an unconscious soldier.

He still managed to plow through more enemies than the two armies combined however. It seemed that they underestimated him, since they figured out that he wasn't a bender of any sort. Their mistake was fatal when they let him get close enough to break their arms, jab out their eyes, snap their necks, and make other severe blows.

The others that kept their guards up didn't fare much better. Though he had to suffer some bruises from the rocks being thrown at him, he started to anticipate their moves the more he faced them and could dodge most of them.

It helped that after seeing what he did to some guards, a bunch others were shaken up to say the least. They knew that he was human, but they also knew about the rumors concerning him and certain spirit. The brutal way he battled almost confirmed them, and as the fight dragged on, more and more people were less willing to be in his way, friend or foe.

"Don't huddle all around Azula! Spread out!" Zuko commanded his troops, but only some of them heard and obeyed him over the chaos. He did notice the masked stranger that Toph also punted into the room, but he wasn't attacking him so he had no qualms with him being here.

The only thing that was important was his sister. Who was impossible to hit when she was bouncing on top of everyone and burning everyone she touched. What's worse was that he thought that he saw a smile on her face, like this was a game and she was winning.

"Are you afraid of challenging me face to face?" He shouted, still trying to hurl fireballs at her. "Why don't you come down and fight me like a man?"

"But Zuzu." She touched the ground and turned to face her brother. "I'm a woman. I can't fight you like a man."

Before he could say anything else, her smirk grew bigger as she shot a bolt of lightning at him.

Zuko easily redirected it at an unfortunate Dai Li agent nearby, but it still left him a little wobbly. The split second that he took to rest, many rocks and stone gauntlets flew towards him and clasped around his hands and feet so he couldn't move an inch.

"No!" Toph earthbended two large pillars out of the ground and slammed them and anyone that was near them against the walls. Then, making her way towards the trapped Firelord, she attempted to pry the stone off with bending while keeping the barrage of rocks away at the same time.

But every time she got one off, another took its place. Even when she tried to attack the agents and guards that was keeping him in place, it was no good. There were just too many of them to deal with.

Azula tsked as she stepped closer to the struggling girl, wielding balls of lightning in both hands. "Yes. It's true. Your little gang is finally going down, and it wasn't that difficult to do."

The crackle of lightning speeding towards her was hard for Toph to interpret. When she realized what was thrown, it was too late to move out of the way.

Luckily, an old man stepped between her and the lightning and reflected it back at Azula. She was able to dodge the bolt, but not without it searing her shoulder. Clutching her wound, she hissed at him and hurled blue fireballs at the two.

"We still have to work together, or else we'll never turn the tide!" Iroh caught the flaming spheres and threw them at some enemies closing in. "How much fire can you handle, Toph?"

"Uh… just as long as my feet don't get burned?" She wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that question.

That was enough for him. Taking in a deep breath, he swung his arms in a wide circular motion and conjured a wall of fire around them.

"There! Work on freeing Zuko, I'll take care of anyone or anything incoming."

Even though she was starting to sweat already, she nodded and yanked off the stones one by one.

"That's not going to be enough to stop me! I'm not afraid of a little fire!" Azula seemed to have forgotten her troops around her that were thinking otherwise. She brought her hand upwards to create a hole in the fire wall, which was promptly closed by Iroh.

Scowling, she tried doing so again. And again. Then, seeing as that wasn't going anywhere and she was just wasting time, she took a step back and dove through the wall of flames.

The move took Iroh by surprise and left him unprepared for the next one. Though he barely managed to duck under her high kick, he was struck by some low ones and fell over.

The attacks broke his concentration and the fire wall dissipated, enabling her soldiers to imprison him with Earthbending. They also resumed their assault on Toph and Zuko, who was almost free before she was interrupted.

"See? Even together, you still lose. I applaud your efforts though." Azula smirked and threw a fireball at Toph's feet. Like with lightning, she couldn't sense what was heading towards her and this time, there was no one to block it. She fell backwards, no longer able to stand or see because of her scorched feet.

After extinguishing some flames on her that she got from rolling through the fire, she turned to the general crowd that was still battling around her.

"Guess what everyone? The Firelord is captured and your best benders were defeated. I suggest that you all surrender now, and maybe we'll make you our servants instead of killing you on the spot."

A pause, then the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers dropped their weapons and raised up their hands. Most of them. A few didn't give up yet and pointing their spears, fireballs, and blocks of earth at their foes. And one man, who was busy dealing with all the mooks, turned away from his current fight and charged at Azula.

"I was really hoping that we wouldn't have to fight." She said almost nonchalantly. Numerous soldiers stepped in his way but he took most of them down without blinking. The rest were told to keep away, which confused Rorschach but that didn't stop his rampage.

"Let him come. I'm going to enjoy this more than the duel with Zuzu and his friends." Azula stretched her legs a bit, waiting for him to come closer.

When he was in range, he reached out and tried to grab her neck. But she swerved away at the last second and tripped him with her foot.

He didn't fall to the ground like she expected though. He only stumbled forward and whirled around for another attack. This time, she didn't stand idle while he was charging and shot out a rain of fire at him.

To the masked man, they were just bullets. Only larger, slower, and made out of fire. He wouldn't be in this profession long if he wasn't able to dodge them. Though it was still a surprise to Azula when he grabbed both of her arms, twisted them, and slammed her into the ground.

"Nice." She sputtered out, tasting blood from dislodged teeth. "Though, I don't know if you have noticed, but I don't only firebend with my arms."

To prove this, she kicked her legs upwards onto Rorschach's back, a blazing trail following it. He was forced to let go in order to not get burned, and was pushed further back by more fire launched at him.

It was harder to dodge the great flaming scythes that Azula made with her foot. He could see that his attack had affected Azula though. Her arms hung limp on her side and she relied soley on her legs to firebend.

A flame almost seared the side of his face. He was getting close to her, and she realized that. So she quickened the rate at which the fire came out, and they were started to look almost white.

His fingers brushed against her side before she jumped up, with fire blowing out from her feet. There was a visible winces when she used her arms to steady her landing, but that faded quickly. A split second after she stood up, she lifted her hands again and, with her feet stomping once on the ground, hurled a large blade of fire in his direction.

It looked like he was going to die again. The flame was too big to dodge, and it would most definitely burn him into a crisp if it enveloped him. Yet, as he watched Azula created the fire with those specific motions, some part of him knew what was happening. Some part understood not just the moves she used, but the fire the moves caused.

Acting completely on instinct, Rorschach closed his eyes and mimicked the hand waving and feet stomping that she did moments ago. And though he couldn't see the results, he could feel it. He could feel the heat that was so close to him being turned away, back at its sender.

"... I did not see that coming." Was the only thing she had to say. Flicking her hands, Azula pushed the reflected flame to the side where it harmlessly scorched the wall. She then cradled her arms, which were still obviously in pain, and examined her opponent curiously.

"Think you can do it again though? Firebend THIS!"

Her face was twisted in perfect fury as she did the same thing again. Only this time, everything was concentrated in the lower half of her body. And it seemed... manical. Convoluted. He somehow knew that he wouldn't be able to do whatever he did again.

He reacted too slowly. The flame scorched his left arm while he was trying to dodge it. He had to bite his tongue in order to not scream out in pain, but he emitted some sort of grunting sound as he fell to the ground.

"Ok, now you can deal with him." Azula told the earthbending guards beside her. They immediately wrapped Rorschach in earth, binding his legs and arms close, and brought their weapons close to his head.

"Finally, I win." She stood over him, smirking. "I must admit, you were the one that fought the best. That's because you didn't hold back at all. You didn't care for your enemies' lives. Not even your friends' lives. They're going to hate you for that."

She indicated the fallen bodies of Iroh, Toph, and Zuko. "They're a bunch of merciful fools. And that's what got them defeated. Even if we lose somehow, they won't accept you into their gang. You're too ruthless. You would never fit in.

"But why don't you join us? We all try to achieve the same goal. We all want the criminals off the streets. We just employ more direct methods. Like you. So why do you fight with them, against us? Why? WHY?"

Azula was panting at the end of the rant, but her eyes still had the energy it had during the battle. They were looking for his defeat before, now they were looking for his answer.

"Because." Rorschach spoke up, glaring at the menacing figure above. "You're an evil bitch."

She didn't say anything at first, then she roared and brought blue flaming daggers close to his neck.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S A BITCH!"

Before she could slice or burn his throat though, a gust of wind knocked her and her guards away from him and the other defeated fighters. A second later, the stone around them sunk back into the floor and he could stand up and see who saved him.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Azula screamed. "WHY DID NO ONE BOTHER TO RESTRAIN THE AVATAR BEFORE HE WOKE UP?!"

The Dai Li agents stuttered out a response that no one could understand. She ignored whatever they said and threw the nearest person at Aang.

"GET OUT! GET OUT NOW YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!"

She pushed more stammering bodies out of her way as she ran towards the doors. It wasn't easy, since not only was he throwing all manner of projectiles in order to stop her, but the other soldiers, including Iroh, Toph, and Zuko, regained their strength and helped in the attempt to capture her.

Rorschach noticed that the boy was glowing again, much like during the prison breakout. And that he wasn't trying to detain him either. If there was a good time to escape, it was now.

Instead of leaving through the door like Azula, where he would be bombarded with rocks and fire, he raced towards a hole in the wall that had been made by... something. Miraculously, he wasn't seen at all, at least, not until he took a step outside.

"No one is leaving this room until I say so." Aang's voice had a strange echo-y quality when he said that.

A stone wall suddenly bursted from the ground and covered Rorschach's exit, and knocked him backwards in the process. The door was also blocked by a wall, and Azula whirled around to glare at him.

"Too bad!" She snarled and commanded her soldiers and agents to attack everyone else, but mainly the Avatar, with just a glance. She then, gratefully, turned and sprinted away while jumping over the earth that tried to grab her feet and dodging the fireballs thrown by the soldiers and her relatives.

Though they didn't have the advantage in strength, they still had the advantage in number. Many Dai Li agents and Earthbending soldiers dogpiled Zuko, Iroh, Toph, and especially Aang. They were easy to blow away, but they were replaced just as easily.

Aang got everyone off of him by surrounding himself with a sphere of air, and then helped the others with their swarming enemies. When he was done with all of them, he glanced around the room and found that... she was gone. Even though he had blocked off all escape routes except...

"The windows!" His voice was back to normal by the time he and everyone else raced to the railing. There was no sign of any crazed Firebender below in the streets or on the wall of the building.

"She's gone. I can't feel her anywhere." Toph placed her hand on several places and shook her head.

"Really gone? You can't even feel her body down there? A fall like that would kill someone." Zuko commented and brought his head away from the long drop down.

"Really gone. It's like she disappeared, somehow..."

While the others were puzzling over Azula's latest trick, Rorschach tried to leave by pushing aside some stones blocking the way out. They were stuck firmly in place though, and his burnt arm didn't help at all. He continued trying anyway, and was only stopped when an invisible force pushed him backwards into the wall.

"At least we caught one lousy scum today." Aang muttered and pointed his staff at him. "Take this man down to prison, where he belongs." He told the remaining guards around him.

"No! He saved our lives!" Toph rushed over to him after hearing his orders, wincing at every step she took. "You were unconscious for most of the battle, but he stood his own against Azula! AGAINST! As in, he's on our side."

"That doesn't mean anything." He retorted, not taking his eyes off of him. "It could be another part of her plan for all we know. He's too dangerous to trust!"

"Just because he broke... her arms doesn't mean that he's bad, if that's what you're thinking." Zuko said quietly. "He was desperate. People do horrid things when they're desperate."

"Why are you all taking his side? It's ridiculous!" Aang threw up his hands in frustration.

"Because he saved our lives, if you didn't hear that the first time." Toph grumbled.

"Just because he saved us once, doesn't mean he's good!"

"And just because he did a bad thing once, doesn't mean he's bad!" Zuko was sounding more annoyed by the minute. "What we're trying to say is that why can't you give him a chance? He deserves one for helping us!"

"He did get a chance, and he wasted it." Aang scoffed. "And he did plenty of bad things, like killing people, and I don't think he regrets it. At all."

"We're in the middle of a war, Avatar." Iroh spoke up suddenly. "A smaller war than the one several months ago, but it's still a war. And in a war, people kill. Like him, and me. Do you think that I'm bad because I didn't regret killing people back when I was a general in the Fire Nation army?"

"Yeah." Zuko nodded at what his uncle said. "And am I bad because I chased you for the longest time ever, and even tried to kill you sometimes?"

"Well... no." The boy sighed and glanced at the two of them. "But you guys did feel sorry afterwards. He didn't."

"That's because it takes time. No one changes overnight." Iroh didn't seem fazed by anything. "And it takes many chances, not just one. I already see some goodness inside him. It may be hidden by all the blood he has on his hands, but it's there."

"... What?" Everyone stared at him with a skeptical look, but Aang was the most confused by what he just said. "But you just met him now, as far as I know."

"I've known of him for some time." The old man replied. "And have been aware of his presence even longer."

Rorschach was a little peeved on how Iroh wasn't revealing much about what he knows about him. And how everyone kept on talking about him like he wasn't there. Then again, what could he do? Anything he said would make the situation worse. For example, he didn't regret breaking the Avatar's girlfriend's arms.

"Ok, so if we don't send him back to jail, what do we do with him? Let him run around and hurt people under our noses like what he's been doing already?" Aang was also irritated by this conversation, but for different reasons.

"I'll keep him under surveillance. You wouldn't have to worry about him breaking any laws. Or the bones of any of your friends." Iroh managed to sneak a wink at Rorschach.

"No offence, uncle, but that doesn't sound smart at all." Zuko saw his subtle eyewink and raised an eyebrow. Then something dawned on him and his own eyes grew wider. "Oh no you didn't..."

"Yes. I did. And seeing as my restaurant wasn't burned down yet, my idea is safer than it sounds."

"Wait, what are we talking about now?" Toph chirped up after her period of silence. "Was Iroh suggesting to take this guy in himself?"

Whatever else the group was blathering about wasn't an interest to him any longer. It looked like he was going to spill the beans on his secret identity soon, and he would rather not stay. Even though he had no clue how the old man knew who he was from when he picked him off the streets...

When he took a step forward, he realized that some of the injuries he got from the battle must have been more severe than he thought they were. Including the burn that he swore was still smoldering. He couldn't help but groan a bit, and to his annoyance, everyone heard it.

"See? Can't you at least give him time to heal before sending him back behind bars?" Zuko felt dirty, trying to appeal to Aang's sympathetic side, but he wouldn't feel right if he was locked away after everything he did.

"He can heal in jail." Aang didn't budge, though his face grew softer.

"No, not really. He got a really nasty burn from Azula. Which, you should know, hurts a lot, and is beyond the reach of prison healing. And you're just going to stick him back there after he saved your sorry ass, where he could die?" Toph said.

Please. He dealt with worse things than burns and bruises in jail. Or places similar to jail. There was no way he could die, though he didn't speak up since this could be the way he'd stay out.

"... If you REALLY think that he deserves a free pass for saving me, and you REALLY think that he shouldn't be there for the sake of healing, and you REALLY REALLY think Iroh can control him, then..." He rubbed the arrow on his forehead, like he couldn't believe what he was going to stay next. "Then he can stay with him. Only as long as he needs to recover. Then he'll be back in prison."

"Or, if he's behaved himself, he'll be allowed to help us." Iroh suggested hopefully.

"... He better have changed by then quite a bit. I'm not going to let him kill people anymore."


End file.
